London police: Cop charged with sex assault facing more charges

A London police officer already facing a sex-assault charge has been additionally charged with harassment and other offences by Waterloo Regional police.

London police charged the 41-year-old officer with sexual assault last month for an off-duty incident involving a woman with whom he’d had a relationship.

Following the announcement of the charges against the unnamed officer — his name was withheld to protect the identify of the female complainant — someone contacted London police to report an incident in Kitchener-Waterloo.

London police gave the information to Waterloo Regional police, who charged the officer with two counts of criminal harassment, being unlawfully in a dwelling and making a harassing phone call, London police said Monday.

“I would like to reassure Londoners that the actions of this officer, if proven in court, are not representative of our values or our commitment to supporting women who have been victimized,” Chief John Pare said in a statement.

Pare has suspended the officer with pay.

The two-year service member is one of seven London police officers to be criminally charged in the last six months. Charges against two of the officers were later dropped.

Last week, Const. Achille Currado, 47, was charged with obstructing justice, breach of trust and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Court records show Currado, an 18-year service member, is accused of leaking confidential information and trying to influence the release of someone in custody.

Currado is also suspended with pay.

Police chiefs don’t have the power to suspend criminally charged officers without pay. But new provincial legislation proposed last month would give chiefs the ability to suspend charged officers without pay, a disciplinary tool their counterparts in every other province have.

In the wake of the latest charges, Pare sought to reassure the public Monday.

“On behalf of the hundreds of LPS employees, I urge Londoners to maintain their trust in the men and women who diligently serve this community,” he said in the statement.

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